Paris 40A 1949 - 1950

Robert Frank made this contact sheet, Paris 40A, using film, exposing a series of photographs. What I notice first are the blurry figures, and the dark smudges and streaks that feel like they are pulled and pushed in various directions. I can imagine Frank out on the street, roaming around Paris, a lone figure, snapping pictures and trusting in the moment. You see the photographer’s shadow repeated over and over, as if trying to find the perfect shot, the perfect position. I think about how the darkroom must have smelled, how the chemicals must have felt on his skin. It is very easy to see the connection with other photographers, such as Cartier-Bresson, and painters like Gerhard Richter, all artists who are not afraid to embrace the accidental in art-making. It's like they're all having a conversation through their work, inspiring each other across time and space. The real beauty lies in its imperfections, its rough edges and blurred lines, which invite us to see the world a little differently.